The New Testament BIBLE STORY #14

The   New  Testament  BIBLE  STORY #14

ESPECIALLY  WRITTEN  FOR  CHILDREN

Chapter Twenty-two:

Jesus attends the Feast of Tabernacles

      It was the fall of the year, the harvest of the barley and

wheat grains had been gathered in (the end of March to late

June), the fruits had been gathered in (July/August - some grape

gathering started, figs, walnuts, olives, etc.), and the main

harvest of grapes, as well as dourra, maize, cotton,

pomegranates, all gathering in and harvested. 

     By this time in Jesus' ministry some leaders of the Jews had

got to the point of hating Him so much they were ready to find a

way to kill Him, so He did not want to openly, on a long term

basis, travel around the district of Judea (Jerusalem area),

hence He went about the Galilee townships, far to the north of

Jerusalem.

     As it was the fall of the year the Feast of Tabernacles that

God had given to the Jews and Israelites under Moses, was close

at hand to being observed in Jerusalem especially, as this was

still the appointed place to observe the Feasts of the Lord as

prescribed under the Old Testament. Jesus' literal brothers (half

brothers we would say today) came to Him and said, "You should

leave here and go to Jerusalem and Judea, that your disciples may

see the works that you are doing. For no man works in secret if

he seeks to be known for doing the work of God. So go and do

these things, show yourself to the world." His brothers did not

as yet believe in Him as the Son of God.

     Jesus answered them, "My time has not yet come, that must

happen to me in all things that are written about me, but your

time to see and do God's will, is always here. The world does 

not hate you, but it does hate me, because I testify to its face that

its works are evil. You go up to the feast; I go not yet up unto

the feast, for the time to do what I must do is not to come as

quickly as you might like to see it come."

     His brothers shrugged their shoulders in complete disbelief

and packed up their things and headed out south to Jerusalem to

observe the Feast of Tabernacles. Jesus stayed on in Galilee for

a number of days, then in a private way He also departed for

Jerusalem and the observance of the feast of Tabernacles. It was

the greatest rejoicing time of the year, when for seven days all

that came to Jerusalem would sing, worship, present animal

sacrifices, eat and drink to their hearts content (within the law

of God of course, after all this was still a "religious" festival

observance), and just praise God for all the ingathered harvests

of the year.

CONFRONTATION WITH THE JEWS

     The Jews, were looking for Him at the feast (knowing Jesus

always observed the Festivals of the Lord and would so be in

Jerusalem somewhere). "Where is He?" Many of the Jews asked 

among themselves. Some muttered to each other that He was a 

"good man," while others conversed that He was leading the people

astray and was up to no good thing. All this conversational talk

was done in a very hush-hush way, not openly and loudly for the

people feared the Jewish leaders and what anger it might provoke

in them if they knew the people were asking for and talking about

Jesus.

     It was about half way through the eight day festival and

Jesus finally showed Himself and went up into the Temple and

started to teach the people. The Jews there could not believe how

He was teaching with such wisdom, knowledge and authority. They

even said to one another, "How can this man teach like this when

he has never been to or attended any of our schools of Theology

or Universities of learning?" (John 7: 1-15).

     And of course they were, on this point correct. Jesus had

never attended or had any certificate of accomplishment from 

any of their Theology schools or any other school of "higher

learning" in their land. It was a complete mystery to them that

He could speak so mightily about the Scriptures and things

pertaining to the Almighty God.

     Jesus knew exactly what was going through their minds, and

said, "My teaching is not mine, but His who sent me: if any

person will do His will, they shall know whether the teaching is

from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority and my 

own ideas. He who speaks on his own authority seeks to simply 

glorify himself; but he who seek the glory of the one who sent him 

is true, and in that person there is no falsehood. Did not Moses

hand down to you the law that was given to him from God, for you

all to observe? Yes, but yet none of you observe it! Why to you

seek to kill me?"

     "You are crazy," replied the people, "who seeks to kill you?

You are possessed by a demon," they continued to shout at Christ.

     Jesus knew the inner most thoughts and attitude of their

hearts, they really were more than upset at Him, the scribes and

Pharisees and Sadducees had been doing a pretty good number on

them, in teaching them that He had broken the Sabbath (which

they held in such high regard, but as we have seen, mainly with

their false traditions and man made rules and regulations) and

other commandments of God. Jesus answered them on this by saying,

"I did one miracle on the Sabbath. Think about this, Moses gave

you the commandment of circumcision, not that it was from Moses

but really it was from the fathers before Moses time. Yet it was

a part of the laws of Moses, given to you. And so you circumcise

a child upon the Sabbath, so if you circumcise a child on the

Sabbath so the laws of Moses will not be broken, why are you so

angry at me because I healed a man on the Sabbath day? You need

to judge not according to outward appearance, but you need to

judge righteous judgment" (John 7: 16-24).

     Ah yes, here we see that judging between right and wrong,

judging the actions and works, and deeds, and life practices, of

people, is not necessarily wrong to do at all! Jesus here did not

say they were never to judge between matters, but He did say that

people were to judge with righteousness, judge in the correct way

with the results then being that which would be favorable in the

sight of God, where God would agree with the judgment decided

upon. In this case the Jews were so off track, they were so wrong

in their judgment of the law of God and how to apply it, that

they were taking something small and trivial in comparison,

saying it should be done even on the Sabbath, but they could not

see or understand that to heal a person from sickness or a demon

on the Sabbath, was a much greater work, and so much more

pleasing to God to see someone do on the Sabbath day, than

circumcising a baby.

     There were others there who had their "pet thoughts" about

this fellow Jesus, knowing that some Jews sought to kill Him.

They didn't believe Jesus either, but came at Him from a

different angle. They spoke up and said, "Is not this the man

whom they seek to kill? And look, here He is, as bold as brass,

speaking openly, and they do nothing to him! Ah, maybe the

authorities really do know and think that this is the Christ?

Yet, we know this man and where he comes from; we know his

brothers and sisters and his home town. He's just a man only. The

Christ, when he comes, no one will know where he comes from."

     In response to this Jesus said, "You think you know me and

know where I come from, but I have not come of my own accord. 

He who sent me is true, and you just do not know Him. I know Him,

for I came from where He is and He sent me."

     The Jews were now really mad at Jesus, and thought to sent

for the temple guards to arrest Him, but it was not Jesus' time

yet for all that, it would come but it was not to happen yet, so

no one laid any hands on Him.

     There were many Jews there who did believe in Him, for they

said , "When the Christ appears as it is written he will, shall he do 

more miracles than what this man has done?"

     The Pharisees and chief priests were not too far away during

all this, as usual, and they soon heard the crowd muttering

against Him, and thought it would be a good time to have officers

sent and to arrest this Jesus. He knew this was in their mind and

declared, "I shall be with you a little longer, and then I will go to 

Him who sent me. You will seek me, but you will not find me. 

And where I shall be you cannot come."

     The Jews were scratching their heads saying to one another,

"Where does this man intend to go that we shall not be able to

find him? Does he intend to go to our fellow Israelites who are

dispersed in the various countries of the Roman Empire, and 

maybe teach also the Greeks? What on earth does he mean by 

saying, 'You will seek me and you will not find me,' and, '

Where I shall be you cannot come'?" (John 7: 25-36).

     All, or most of the people anyway, were left in confused

bewilderment.  It was not yet time for Jesus to be arrested and

put to death, so the people at large and the Pharisees and chief

priests walked away from Him and went about doing other things 

in the Temple area.

     The rest of the feast passed and now it was getting close to

the last day of this seven day feast.

THE LAST GREAT DAY OF THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES

     It is written in John 7: 37 as, "On the last day, the great

day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out....."

     Many among today's church organizations that do observe the

Feast of Tabernacles (and there are indeed many around the world)

have taught or still do teach, that this last, great day, is NOT

the 7th day of the feast of Tabernacles, but the 8th day

that follows the feast of Tabernacles. And many have called this

last Sabbath day (which comes after the feast of Tabernacles -

see Lev.23) "The Last Great Day" thinking that it was on this 8th

day that Jesus stood up and proclaimed the words we find in John

7: 37,38.

     This is not what Jewish recorded history tells us. It was

not on this 8th day that Jesus uttered these words but it was on

the LAST DAY of the feast of Tabernacles - the SEVENTH day 

of the feast, or the last day of this feast, which was called in 

Jewish traditional usage, "the great day of the feast."

     The Jewish Christian scholar Albert Edersheim in his well

known book "The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah" chapter 7,

pages 156-160, gives us the true meaning and symbolism that took

place in and around the Temple on this 7th and last day of the

feast of Tabernacles.

     "It was 'the last, the great day of the Feast,' and Jesus

     was once more in the Temple. We can scarcely doubt that it

     was the concluding day of the Feast, and NOT, as most modern

     writers suppose, its OCTAVE, which in Rabbinic language,

     was regarded as 'a festival by itself.'  But such solemn

     interest attaches itself to the Feast, and this occurrence

     on its last day, that we must try to realize the scene......

     Not only did all the priestly families minister during that

     week, but it has been calculated that not fewer than 446

     Priests, with, of course, a corresponding number of Levites,

     were required for its sacrificial worship. In general the

     services were the same every day, EXCEPT that the number 

     of bullocks offered decreased daily from thirteen on the first,

     to seven on the seventh day.....

     But 'the last, the Great Day of the Feast,' was marked by

     special observances. Let us suppose ourselves in the number

     of worshippers, who on 'the last, the Great Day of the

     Feast,' are leaving their 'booths' at daybreak to take part

     in the service.

     The pilgrims are all in festive array......the festive

     multitude would divide into three bands. Some would remain

     in the Temple to attend the preparation of the Morning

     sacrifice. Another band would go in procession 'below

     Jerusalem' to a place called Moza, the 'Kolonia' of the

     Jerusalem Talmud.....At Moza they cut down willow-branches,

     with which, amidst the blasts of the Priests' trumpets, they

     adorned the altar, forming a leafy canopy above it. Yet a

     third company were taking part in a still more interesting

     service. To the sound of music a PRECESSION started from

     the Temple. It followed a Priest who bore a golden pitcher,

     capable of holding a LOG (rather more than two pints).

     Onward it passed, probably through Ophel.....to the very

     verge of Siloam, down the edge of the Tyropoeon Valley,

     where it merges into that of the Kedron.....

     Here was the so-called 'Fountain-Gate,' and still within the

     City-wall 'the Pool of Siloam,' the overflow of which fed

     the lower pool......

     The Pool of Siloam was fed by the LIVING spring farther up

     in the narrowest part of the Kidron Valley.....

     When the Temple-procession had reached the Pool of Siloam,

     the Priest filled his golden pitcher from its waters (except

     on the Sabbath, and on the first day of the Feast. On these

     occasions it had been provided the day before). Then they

     went back to the Temple, so timing it, that they should

     arrive just as they were laying the pieces of the sacrifice

     on the great Altar of Burnt-offering, towards the close

     of the ordinary Morning sacrifice service. A threefold blast

     of the Priests' trumpet welcomed the arrival of the Priest,

     as he entered through the 'Water-gate' (one of the gates

     that opened from 'the terrace' on the south side of the

     Temple), which obtained its name from this ceremony, and

     passed straight into the Court of the Priests. Here he was

     joined by another Priest, who carried the wine for the

     drink-offering. The two Priests ascended 'the rise' of the

     altar, and turned to the left.

     There were two silver funnels here, with narrow openings,

     leading down to the base of the altar. Into that at the

     east, which was somewhat wider, the wine was poured, and, at

     the same time, the water into the western and narrower

     opening, the people shouted to the Priest to raise his hand,

     so as to make sure that he poured the water into the funnel.

     For, although it was held that the WATER-POURING was an

     ordinance instituted by Moses, 'a Halakhah of Moses from

     Sinai,' this was another of the points disputed by the

     Sadducees.....Immediately after 'the pouring of water,' the

     great 'hallel,' consisting of Psalms 113 to 118 (inclusive)

     was chanted antiphonally, or rather, with responses, to the

     accompaniment of the flute......

     The festive morning-service was followed by the offering of

     the special sacrifice of the day, with their

     drink-offerings, and by the Psalm of the day, which on the

     'last, Great Day of the Feast,' was Psalm 82 from verse

     5.....

     As the people left the Temple, they saluted the altar with

     words of thanks, and on the last day of the Feast they shook

     off the leaves on the willow-branches round the altar, and

     beat their palm-branches to pieces. On the same AFTERNOON

     the 'booths' were DISMANTLED, and the Feast ended.

     We can have little difficulty in determining at what part of

     the service of 'the last, the Great Day of the Feast,' Jesus

     stood and cried, 'If any one thirst, let Him come unto ME

     and drink!' It must have been with special reference to the

     ceremony of the OUT-POURING OF THE WATER, which, 

     as we have seen, was considered the CENTRAL PART of the service. 

     Moreover, all would UNDERSTAND that His words must refer to

     the HOLY SPIRIT, since the rite was UNIVERSALLY regarded as

     SYMBOLICAL of his outpouring.

     The forth-pouring of the water was immediately followed by

     the chanting of the HALLE. But AFTER that there must have

     been a SHORT PAUSE to PREPARE for the festive sacrifice (the

     Musaph). 

     It was THEN, immediately after the symbolic rite of the

     water-poring, immediately after the people had responded by

     repeating those lines from Psalm 118 - given thanks, and

     prayed that Jehovah would send salvation and prosperity, and

     had shaken their Lulabh towards the altar, thus praising

     'with heart, and mouth, and hands,' and THEN SILENCE had

     fallen upon them - that there rose, so loud as to be heard

     throughout the Temple, the VOICE of Jesus . He interrupted

     NOT the services, for they had for the MOMENT CEASED. 

     He INTERPRETED, and He FULFILLED them.

     But yesterday they had been divided about Him, and the

     authorities had given directions to take Him; today He is

     not only in the temple, but, at the close of the most solemn

     rites of the Feast, asserting, within the hearing of all,

     His claim to be regarded as the fulfilment of all, and the

     true Messiah.....

     So then, it was nothing new, only the happy fulfilment of

     the old, when He thus 'spake of the Holy Spirit, which they

     who believed on Him should receive'....."

End of quote from Edersheim (capitals are mine for emphasis).

     Yes, Jesus took the water ceremony on that last great day of

the Feast of Tabernacles, and gave the people its true symbolic

meaning. It was all to do with HIM and the Holy Spirit that would

be given, poured out upon and into, to flow out of, all those

who would believe in Him. John writes that the Holy Spirit was

not yet given at that time because Jesus was not yet glorified. 

     We need to remember that John in saying that, was speaking

of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in a new and special way,

people having the Holy Spirit united with their spirit to beget

them as Jesus in the flesh was begotten of the Father. Before

that time the people of God had the Holy Spirit "with" them but

not "in" them as it would be when given and poured out upon

people AFTER Jesus was glorified in His resurrection glory, and

on the feast of Pentecost (Acts 2), which we shall come to later

in our Bible Story.

PEOPLE CONFUSED ABOUT JESUS

     After the service of that last great day of the Feast, and

people had heard and seen Jesus speaking and teaching during the

Feast and now hearing Him say He was the way to living waters of

the Spirit, some shouted out, "Oh, indeed, look at what this

man has done and taught, He must be THE prophet." Others cried

out in response, "Yes, he has proved himself to be the promised

Messiah." But still others lifted up their voices and said, But

how can he be the Messiah. Will the Messiah come from the Galilee

area as this man comes from? The Scriptures teach clearly that

the Messiah will be born of the royal line of David, in Bethlehem, 

the town where King David was born."

     The people who declared this, were of course correct in

understanding the Scriptures but they just did not know Jesus in

His birth had indeed fulfilled them. They did not know what you

have read about in the early chapters of this New Testament Bible

Story.

     So the crowd was divided and confused in their opinions

about Christ. And some still wanted Him arrested, but there was

no one who dared touch Him. The Temple guards who had been 

sent to arrest Him returned to the leading Priests and Pharisees.

     "Why have you not arrested and brought him in?" they

demanded to know from them.

     "Have you also been led astray?" the Pharisees mocked with

an evil smirch of a smile. "Can you find a single Pharisee or any

one among the rulers of the people, who believe in him? Many of

these silly ignorant people do, but what do they know about

spiritual matters and who is from God? A curse on them anyway!"

     

     Well, there was one among those Pharisees and rulers, who

had met with Jesus secretly a while back, as we saw in an earlier

chapter. You remember? He was Nicodemus. He had kept it a secret

that he felt this Jesus fellow was from God and had God with Him.

Now he spoke up in Jesus' defence, well somewhat in His defence,

"Is it legal to convict a man before he is given a hearing?" he

asked.

     They cynically and quickly replied, "Hu, are you from

Galilee too? Are you wanting to stick-up for this fellow who

works by the prince of the demons? Search the Scriptures and see

for yourself - no prophet from God has ever come from Galilee!"

     Nicodemus was correct, the law of the Jews prohibited any

one from being condemned without a legal hearing, but those

leaders by this time were so filled with hate for Jesus they were

willing to turn a blind eye to any of their laws of proper justice. 

They were now filled with one thing in their hearts and minds, 

how they could have Jesus killed. Nicodemus, was out

numbered by far, and was silenced by their mocking words

in reply to his statement. 

     Everyone had enough of the whole scene and confused 

opinions about this man called Jesus Christ. They dispersed and 

all went to their respective homes for the evening and the night 

(John 7: 37-53).

THE EIGHTH DAY - THE LAST GREAT FEAST

     Jesus spent the night on the Mount of Olives, in prayer and

meditation. He knew there was much to happen the next day. 

He was back at the Temple very early after spending the night in

spiritual refreshment and physical rest. He was back in the

Temple to teach because it was the EIGHTH day, the day AFTER 

the Feast of Tabernacles. Many have missed this very important

understanding because of their wrong understanding of John 7: 37

and the day on which that took place.

     We are now at the NEXT DAY AFTER the seven day Feast of

Tabernacles. It is called the "eighth" day in the book of

Leviticus, chapter 23. It was an ANNUAL SABBATH day. 

It was in reality the LAST FEAST of a total of SEVEN Feasts of 

the Lord as outlined in Leviticus 23.

     As Alfred Edersheim has mentioned above, it was regarded as

a SEPARATE FEAST to the Lord. It was NOT a part of the Feast of

Tabernacles. As we have seen from Edersheim, the "booths" for the

Feast of Tabernacles were dismantled on the AFTERNOON of the 7th

day of the Feast of Tabernacles. On the OCTAVE DAY, the 8th day,

a Sabbath day, there were different SPECIAL sacrifices offered as

prescribed in the law of Moses, besides the regular daily sacrifices.

     Jesus was back in the Temple to teach on this LAST GREAT

FEAST DAY!

     As He was teaching the crowd that had gathered about Him,

the teachers of the religious law and Pharisees brought a woman

they had literally caught in the act of adultery (sleeping with

another man other than her husband). They put her in front of the

crowd that was listening to Jesus.

     "Teacher," they said to Him, "this woman was caught in the

very act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her to death

for such a sin and violation of God's law. What do you say about

the matter?"

     They were once more trying to trap Him into saying something

they could use against Him, and hence make Him look foolish and

inept on the matter of religious law, in front of the general

populace of the people gathered around Him.  Jesus said not a

word. He stooped down and wrote in the dust with His finger. The

religious leaders still demanded an answer from Him. He stood up

and said to them, "All right, stone her, but let those who have

never sinned throw the first stone at her!" He then stooped down

again and wrote in the dust more words. 

     When the accusers heard this and saw what Jesus had written,

they started to slip silently away one by one, beginning with the

oldest, until only Jesus was left of the religious teachers, and

the woman. Jesus then stood up once more and said to her, "Where

are your accusers? Wasn't there a group of them here? Didn't even

one of them condemn you?"

     "No, Lord," she answered.

     "Very well, then neither do I condemn you. Go your way, but

remember, sin no more" Jesus told her, and she departed with

thanksgiving in her heart for God's mercy.

     One thing we see immediately from this account. To commit

the physical act of adultery takes TWO people, a MAN as well as a

woman. These religious leaders said they caught the woman in the

very act of adultery. They brought the woman to Jesus, but

they did not bring the man. We must ask, why did they not? Even

if we assume the man was too powerful and strong and broke away

from them and ran for his life, Jesus did not ask where the man

was. He did not fall into the trap of getting into all that question. 

He knew their hearts and what their mind was trying to accomplish 

by bringing the woman before Him. It was not for any kind of mercy, 

if the woman was repentant, but just to see what Jesus would do 

about the letter of the law of Moses. As well as to try and have Him 

break the law of the Romans who, though allowing just about all 

freedom to the Jews to practice and teach their religion, DID NOT 

allow the Jews to put anyone to death without authority from the 

Roman Government via its representative in Palestine.

     The words of Jesus that anyone among them who had never

sinned should throw the first stone, and whatever words He wrote

in the dust, it got to the heart of each of those religious teachers, 

and they clearly knew they had sinned, and did not want to go 

any further with the matter. It was a bad enough embarrassment 

to each of them as it was, without having Jesus do any more 

public declaring of "their sins" that no doubt also carried the 

death penalty with them under the letter of the law of Moses.

     Although a number of the laws of Moses carried the death

penalty if violated, that did not mean the death penalty was

automatically inflicted upon people, without the matter being

righteously judged by the court and judges of the land of Israel.

Mercy could be allocated to the offender if deep repentance could

be shown by the guilty party. God has always been a God of mercy

when mercy was deserved. The classic and outstanding example of

that under the Old Testament was God's mercy upon the great King

David. He also was guilty of adultery and more. When it was

brought to his attention he repented DEEPLY, Psalm 51 is

attributed to David as his repentance poem and prayer to God for

MERCY. He was punished (by loosing his son in death when sickness

befell him, which was covered in the Bible Story of the Old

Testament) but God did have mercy upon him by not demanding the

death penalty be applied to him.

     Jesus was also having mercy upon the woman caught in the act

of adultery. But we also need to notice Jesus told her to "go,

but sin no more." Mercy is not a license to sin at ones pleasure

(John 7: 53 - 8: 1-11).

JESUS' STRAIGHT TALK TO THE PHARISEES

     After the woman left Jesus turned to the people and said, "I am 

the  LIGHT of the world. If you follow me, you will not stumble

through the darkness, because you will have the LIGHT that leads

to LIFE."

     Some of the Pharisees still there who were not part of the

departing group, said, "You are making outrageous and false

claims about yourself!"

     Jesus answered them, "No, these claims are valid even though I 

make them about myself. For I KNOW where I came from and where

I am going, but you do not know this about me. You judge me from

all your human limitations, but I am not judging anyone. And if I

did, my judgment would be correct in every way because I am not

alone - I have with me the Father who sent me. Even in your own

law you can read that if two people agree about something, their

witness is accepted as true and factual. I am one witness, and my

Father who sent me is the other witness." 

     "Who and where is your Father," they asked.

     "Since you do not know who I am, you also do not know who my

Father is," Jesus replied, "and if you knew me, you would know my

Father too."

     John the apostles tells us that Jesus made these statements

in the part of the Temple called the Treasury. And He was not

arrested because it was not yet the time for that event to happen.

     Later that day Jesus said to them again, "I am going away.

You will search for me but will not find me, and you will die in

your sins. You cannot come where I am going."

     The Jewish leaders had baffled and perplexed looks on their

faces, and some among them said, "Is he panning to commit

suicide? What does he mean, 'You cannot come where I am going'?"

     Jesus continued, "You are from below, this world; I am from

above . You are of this world, I am not. That is why I said you

would die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am who I

say I am, you will die in your sins."

     "Tell us who you are," they demanded.

     Jesus replied to them, "I am the ONE who I have always

claimed to be. I have much to say about you and much to 

condemn, but I will not, for I say only what I hear from the one 

who sent me, and He is very true."

     They still did not understand that He was talking to them

about His Father in heaven. Many times Jesus had made it pretty

clear to those religious leaders that His Father was the ONE God

who was in heaven, and that He came from Him and was sent

by Him, but no matter how He put it to them, it was like water

running off a duck's back, they just didn't get it.

     Once more Jesus said to them, "When you have lifted up the

Son of man, then you will realize that I am He and that I do

nothing on my own, but I speak what the Father has taught me. And

the one who sent me is with me - He has not deserted me. For I

always do those things that are pleasing to Him."

     Jesus was referring to His being lifted up on the cross when

He said those words about "When you have lifted up the Son of

man" - but they also did not understand what He was meaning about

that either.

     With all that Jesus had spoken during the Feast of

Tabernacles and now what He had so far spoken on this Last Great

Feast Day, John records in his Gospel that "many who heard Him

say these things believed in Him" (John 8: 21-30).

               ..............................

Written October 2002